I am trying to research ZeeMee, but not coming up with much. Does anyone know how much schools value this site? Any other opinions on it?
Not really at all, honestly.
So far I doubt this has any traction. I was looking at a very similar one recently but for stem students and it seemed a little better.
I was also wondering the same thing about ZeeMee.
What is the other one for STEM students??
I speak from experience when I say ZeeMee is pretty awesome. This year, I got into each of the 6 schools I applied to (including UVA, UNC, UT and associated honors programs), and the platform definitely helped showcase my story.
In the end, including it can’t possibly hurt, and I’ve heard some colleges are starting to partner with them and require it as a supplemental.
I’d like a link to support this. As it’s your first post and you provide a vague and fawning endorsement rather than tempered, useful specifics, it’s hard not to suspect you of shilling.
ZeeMee is a late-2014 startup that is attempting to bring social media and college apps together. Its advisory board includes UVA, GWU and admissions/counseling professionals. Some schools such as SMU are starting to include ZeeMee prompts on their apps. You can also add the link to the additional info section of the common app or email it. Basically it allows students to upload pictures and videos to briefly tell about themselves and highlight a few activities. Done well, it might be a unique opportunity to add something extra to your application. However, there is always the danger of an unflattering portrayal of self or just repeating what’s in the app without adding any dimension.
I think it’s good for students to embrace new technology but make sure it will enhance vs hurt your app.
From what I can tell, I’m cynical about it. It sounds like marketing – not really a tool to better evaluate applicants. It’s marketing to kids who think it’s cool to upload videos & other media as part of their application. What does this do for those on the outer edges of the digital realm? What does it to to pull those kids in? Or does it simply make the schools seem a little more disconnected and out of touch with those kids?
UVA and GWU going after suburban, pretty kids. Wow. Am I supposed to give them a cookie? I get it – they need to pay their bills – but this is no different than another glossy mailer to the well-off high schools, IMHO.
If I’m off track, help me out.
It’s social media technology. It’s forward moving. Not surprising the skeptics are the more seasoned among us vs students. Younger people and those in higher education tend to embrace “new” first. Whether this takes off or not is still to be determined (will schools view it as more work or duplicative info or as bringing another dimension to apps?). In any case, it’s interesting and I would encourage students to use it to their advantage, especially those who like to be in the forefront.
Many schools are looking for diversity, so this could be a good platform to showcase that. And according to pew research, the vast majority of teens are already in the digital realm…
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/
@twicearound: my skepticism is that an unintended (I hope) consequence of opening up a new “forefront” technology is that those who lack access to this technology or experience simply get pushed further and further behind. I’m all for the entirety of society to grow in its ease and adoption of technology including social media. I’m fearful that all this does is impart the message to some areas of our society: “look at what the kids at Thomas Jefferson are doing to get into UVA. How can I even come CLOSE to that? I’m not going to apply.”
Some people will be excited to upload their media. Others will see it as another reason THAT college isn’t for me.
Are you aware that some symphonies are now doing blind auditions? Auditioners perform behind a screen. It turns out that women were routinely and unfairly discriminated against DUE TO THEIR APPEARANCE or GENDER versus their playing ability. The guys did better than the women. The hot blondes did better than the avg looking Asian.
Many employers REFUSE applications or resumes with photographs. This is to scrub the bias for certain “looks.”
I posit that by this broadens the DIVIDE between the haves and have-not applicants. Sorry – but the kid who bolts out after class to go to her Burger King shift isn’t too excited about this. I’m for keeping the playing field as level as possible (AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE) – not to create another doorway that’s not really open to the broadest possible pool. You see it as an exciting new path for students to express themselves. I see it as a potential additional hurdle that will put off students – cynically, I’m sure there are people who are content to erect this filter.
As a proponent of this technology, you may not have thought what it means to be in a group where this simply is NOT THE NORM. That’s why “seasoned” voices might be useful in the development of this realm.
@T26E4 read the research. You are making assumptions vs stating facts about who uses social media. You also may be falsely assuming that only certain people have the market on creativity. Won’t debate the potential for prejudice, as every viewer would have their own set (so point noted). And, I too am seasoned. Just stating the obvious about who tends to be in the forefront of embracing new technology, so the opinions expressed so far make sense. And I’m not a proponent as much as I’m open minded about this…for now. It’s too new to know at this point, but I will continue to advise my students to look into it, for schools that encourage it or where they think they can use this platform to their advantage.
I appreciate your honest feedback and perspective. I’m not saying that kids don’t have creativity.
I’m just concerned that we insert another brass ring on the merry go round that students will feel compelled to reach-- and one that may create another beauty contest. I want more blind auditions – not less.
So what if the cost of my attitude is that kids’ creativity doesn’t get judged? I’m OK with that. The colleges haven’t been doing poorly to this point, IMHO.
What is driving the creation of this new media pipeline? Are colleges baying that they don’t have enough info they have to successfully evaluate applicant pools? This site certainly sees unending posts from students asking if they can send extra rec letters, video links, writing and photo samples, 40 page research papers, etc. From my casual perusal, it seems that colleges are doing their best to curb the submission of more and more of this stuff. The creation of an additional media pipeline seems counter to what seems to be colleges’ saying “Less is more.” It seems to me that it’s more consumer (student) or industry driven.
I’m not a luddite – I’m sure people used my similar argument when the colleges turned a corner to universally accept the Common App (“will it disadvantage kids who aren’t easily online?”). But I think this is fundamentally different and simply adds another eval criteria that’s highly subjective that, as I said above, can be a put off.